Daniel William Haakenson (he/they) is a multi-genre vocalist based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He received his Bachelor of Music cum laude in Vocal Performance from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota where he studied with Dr. Tracey Engleman, and sang in choral ensembles under Dr. Therees Hibbard and Tesfa Wondemagegnehu. In 2026, he graduated from the Longy School of Music with a dual Master of Music in Vocal Studies and Jazz & Contemporary Music, studying with Dr. Dana Lynne Varga and Hayley Thompson King. Daniel has performed for audiences in the US, Canada, and Europe, including in master classes with Amanda Forsythe, Jake Heggie, Martin Katz, Anne Grimm, and Deborah York. 

A versatile singer and champion of new music, Daniel’s repertoire encompasses several centuries and genres. He made his operatic debut as “the Refugee” in the Nuova Vocal Arts June 2023 production of Flight by Jonathan Dove. Daniel performed his first role in full drag as "Madame de la Haltière" in the Longy School of Music’s December 2024 production of Cendrillon by Massenet, where he had previously debuted as "the Businessman" in Rachel Portman’s The Little Prince. Through Longy, Daniel has been fortunate enough to premiere several new works such as the song cycle “Scenes from a Faery Forest” by Kevin Lubin and the chamber operas “Eidolon” by Sid Richardson and “The Telltale Heart” by Shambhavi Mishra.

As his contemporary vocalist alter ego DANNi, he is currently developing "ChickenKisser", a pop/punk/funk/rock musical project influenced by Prince, Scissor Sisters, and Radiohead, among many others. The project made its live debut at the Lilypad in Cambridge, MA in May 2026, and will announce further performances shortly.